Dreams and Reality

by Spyder27

Something New

Chapter IV: Something New

“Really?” Sunset asks me with wide eyes, surprised to hear my response. Honestly, both times I’ve met her, I can’t predict what she’s going to do next. She’s so strange. Surprising…

“Yeah. Why not? I haven’t really done anything with someone in the last few years,” I tell her with a shrug before looking at the clock on the wall. “Although, I don’t think I can talk much more about it right now. I have a tight shift I need to complete and all.” An embarrassed expression comes to Sunset’s face, realizing just how much time I’ve been away from my cart.

“Oh! Sorry. I didn’t mean to take you away from your work and all. Would you maybe like to exchange phone numbers or…?” she asks me slowly, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Her eyes connect with mine, curious to see my response.

“Sure. We can do that.” Turning my phone on, I navigate the screen to my settings, finding my number rather easily. Turning the screen towards Sunset, her eyes look at the number before she quickly inputs it into her phone. A smile comes to her face right as my phone buzzes, making me look at the notification. A text from an unidentified number simply tells me “hi” with a smiley face.

“There we go~ Do you mind if we talk later tonight to set up a time we can hang out?” She asks me with a slight shake of her phone, ultimately turning on the flashlight and blinding her in the process. “Oh shi-” she whimpers with a slight shake of her head, making me laugh quietly. I don’t even know why this woman wants to hang out with me, but she seems friendly enough. The fact that she’s pretty funny helps with that fact.

“You alright there?” I ask her with a chuckle, trying to keep in my laughter as much as I can. Turning off the flashlight, Sunset blinks her eyes a couple times, making sure she can still see the world around her.

“Yep~ Totally good. Just surprised, that’s all~” she tells me with a smile, giving me a thumbs up. Looking at my phone again, I slowly type something in, sending her a message. Her phone instantly vibrates, making her inspect the message before grinning at my text. “Great~! Then I’ll talk to you later tonight~”

“You’re awfully strange, you know that, Sunset?” I tell her with a raised eyebrow, slightly rolling my eyes sarcastically.

“I’ve been told that before~”

===========================================================

Closing Sonata’s door as quietly as I can, I can’t help but smile at how easily she was put to bed tonight. She didn’t have a bad day at school and all she needed was a simple bedtime story before I tucked her in. Aria went to bed right after dinner, seemingly not in the mood to talk. I’m a little worried that she isn’t having a good time, but I will try to talk to her about it tomorrow. For now, the two of them should get as much rest as they can get. I would go to bed myself, but there are two main reasons I’m staying up for a little while longer. I’m not usually able to sleep that well at night anyway due to my constant worrying, but I also have someone I need to talk to.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I quickly make my way to my room, turning off the hallway light as I go. It’s practically pitch black in my room, but I know the layout like the back of my hand. Closing my door, I walk over and fall down on my bed, turning my phone on. Unlike Aria, I’m not going to use my phone to use up our internet in the middle of the night. Instead, I’m just going to make a quick little call. The bright blue light projects down on my face, a bunch of small icons for apps showing up on my homescreen. My background is a picture of Sonata a couple years ago, getting ready to ride a roller coaster with Aria. That was when I saved a lot of money for us to have a vacation… Navigating to the phone app, I click Sunset’s number quickly. Hitting the call button, I bring the phone to my ear, once again casting the room in darkness. For a few moments, the loud ringing fills my ear, making me count the seconds.

The sound of a click signifies the call being answered. “Hello?” Sunset’s voice resonates into the microphone, making me think about how long it’s been since I’ve called someone just for fun. Most of the time, I just get calls discussing why one of the girls is in trouble this week, so it’s a bit refreshing to get a call like this.

“Hey, this is Sunset, right?” I ask with a curious tone, making sure it’s the right person.

“Oh, hey, Adagio~ Yeah, it’s me. I was wondering when you were going to call,” Sunset tells me with a slight chuckle, a relaxed tone in her voice. “How was your night?”

“I just got done with dinner, so I’m about to go to bed, honestly,” I tell her with a soft sigh, closing my eyes and kicking my feet outward. I don’t dare to pull the blanket over me, wanting to enjoy the cold air for just a moment longer.

“Oh? Well, we don’t have to talk now if you’re tired? We can schedule a time some other day,” Sunset tells me with a sympathetic voice, making me chuckle.

“No, it’s fine. Really. I’m awake enough to discuss.” Running my fingers through my hair, I try to think about the upcoming week, taking a deep breath. I haven’t done something fun with someone else in a long time… To be honest, I’m a little nervous. Then again, it wasn’t hard to make friends back in high school, but they weren’t real friends. “Are you free on Thursday?”

=========================================================

Today is the only day I have off for the whole week. Thursday. Even though I promised I would meet Sunset, Sonata asked me if she could have a playdate. She has such a hard time making friends that I can’t really refuse. I’ll still have time to meet Sunset later today. Hell, I’m not even sure why she wants to be my friend in general. Maybe she really is that lonely. Regardless, today is a busy day. I’ve been doing my best since eight in the morning to make everything perfect for Sonata’s playdate. Every square inch of the apartment is clean and I’ve made a plan for what they will eat for lunch. Everything has to be perfect for her. She deserves to have at least one good playdate.

My back hurts so much now… After cleaning everything, I can’t help but ache all over. Whenever Sonata is near, I try to keep a brave face, making sure she doesn’t feel bad for asking for a playdate. I even called in one of my favors with my coworker, getting a few balloons the two of them can play with. Aria’s pretty much told me she will be staying in her room the whole time Sonata has her friend over, but that’s pretty much expected of her at this point. If Sonata can make a friend, maybe she won’t be so sad anymore. Maybe she won’t be bullied all the time and I won’t have to see her on the verge of tears almost every night. I didn’t give myself the luxury to make many friends after I got them out of that place, but a friend would really help Sonata’s self-esteem.

Washing my hands in the kitchen sink, I sigh heavily, trying to get the last jitters out of my system. I haven’t had a mom trust me with her child before, so this playdate is also pretty big for me. No one seems to like me at the parent meetings at school due to the fact that I’m not actually Sonata and Aria’s mother. Then again, we’ve never really had a mother… A true one… Regardless, it’s a big milestone for Sonata to invite another kid over here and for their mom to actually trust me with this responsibility. I’ve already contacted her and told her all the details for the playdate, arranging a time for her child to be picked up. If things go well enough, maybe all the other parents won’t look at me so weirdly at the conferences anymore. And maybe Sonata can start making friends. I have a sneaking suspicion that at least some of the kids avoid Sonata due to their parents’ influence…

“Are you ready for your playdate?” I ask as I enter the living room, looking at the small blue girl on the couch. Both of her arms hold onto her stuffed animal tightly, kicking her legs back and forth slightly as if she’s nervous about this.

“M-mhmm,” Sonata quietly responds, biting her lip slowly. Honestly, it’s almost ironic to see the struggles Sonata is dealing with right now. Someday, nervousness will seem like the least of her worries, but in her child mind, it’s her whole world right now. Sonata made sure to wear one of her cutest dresses, trying to impress the girl she invited over here.

Walking over to the couch, I sit down beside Sonata, pulling her close to me. “Are you going to show her Mr. Thompson?” I ask her with a smile, poking her teddy bear for a moment. Sonata simply gives me a nod, still looking at the door with a nervous expression on her face. “Are you scared, sweetheart?” I ask her, pulling her onto my lap. Sonata still kicks her legs back and forth, holding her bear a little tighter.

“Y-yeah,” Sonata whispers, her shoulders getting a little less tense as I wrap my arms around her. Rocking her in my arms, I gently rest my head on hers, trying to think of what to say.

“What exactly is scary about this? Can you tell me?” I already know several reasons why she might be scared about this playdate, but I want to hear it from her. I want her to explain it so that we can address it together and make a plan on how to conquer her fears.

“I-I haven’t done this yet,” Sonata whispers, looking towards the floor. “Everybody bullies me a-and… I don’t want to be bad and cause that.”

“I see,” I respond to her with an equally quiet tone, still holding her close to my body. “New experiences are always scary, Princess. Even for adults.” Sonata’s eyes look up towards mine, clearly confused by my statement.

“But adults don’t get scared?” she tells me, trying to justify her previous understanding. Yet she’s still curious about what I said.

“Not true~ Adults get scared all the time. We just get scared of different things, not like monsters.” Poking her nose, Sonata giggles slowly, seemingly finding this conversation funny.

“Because you’re big enough to fight them?” she asks me with wonder in her eyes, wanting to know what adults are scared of.

“Precisely~ But the main point is that new things are scary for everyone. I’m sure the girl you invited here is just as nervous as you, but once you two get to know each other, it won’t be that scary anymore~” Rubbing her head with a chuckle, I can’t help but smile at Sonata’s giggles. “Also, I’m absolutely sure you won’t be bad enough to make her bully you, sweetheart~ You do everything you can to make someone feel included and I’m sure she will like playing with you~” The nervous expression comes back to Sonata’s face, briefly looking towards the door as she thinks of something to say. Clearly, she has been affected a lot by the bullying she’s endured…

“Promise?” she slowly asks me, extending her pinkie finger out to me, an offer I quickly accept.

“Pinkie promise~” Just as I wrap my finger around hers, the doorbell rings, making Sonata look at the door.

“Oh! She’s here!” she exclaims before jumping off my lap and running to the door. Despite how nervous she is, she still seems pretty excited to get this playdate started. Getting up off the couch, I walk over to the door, opening it to see a small yellow girl, orange hair neatly brushed with small blue bows on each side of her head. The bows compliment her eyes well. Clearly, her mom knows a lot about styling a child’s hair. Looking towards the parking lot, I see Mrs. Cake give me a big wave from her car, returning the wave with a smile.

“Sonata, aren’t you going to invite her in?” I ask her with a wink, causing Sonata to jump slightly.

“Oh! Yeah! Come in,” Sonata tells the girl while aiming one of her arms into our apartment. The girl walks inside our apartment, Sonata eagerly closing the door behind her. Crouching down to look her in the eye, I hold my hand out towards her.

“You must be Pumpkin Cake, huh? It’s nice to meet you~” Taking my hand slowly, Pumpkin Cake smiles and nods.

“Mhmm! I’m glad to meet you too! What’s your name?” she asks me innocently, surprising me that Sonata didn’t tell her about me. If Sonata didn’t mention me, did she talk about Aria?

“I’m Adagio~ Sonata’s-”

“Mom!” Sonata interjects, hugging me from the side. Did she just say… mom? Why? Looking at Sonata, a nervous expression is painted across her face, smiling at Pumpkin Cake. “This is my mom~ Do you want to meet my big sister too?” Sonata still holds onto her teddy bear as Pumpkin Cake nods, grabbing her hand. “Great! Her name is Aria~ She’s a bit of a grump though, so yeah,” Sonata tells her friend, bringing her down the hall towards Aria’s room. Within a moment, I’m left alone, pondering what just happened. Why did Sonata just call me her mom…? Standing up, I can’t help but sigh, feeling puzzled by the whole situation. I know she was bullied before since she didn’t have parents, but… I didn’t think she would tell someone I’m her mom. Is she embarrassed of me? Of the fact that I’m her older sister? Practically everyone knows we’re sisters, so is it really worth it to lie to her new friend…?

Looking towards the floor, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. She’s probably just trying to save face. Trying to avoid more differences that could cause her to be ostracized from others. Even still, it almost… hurts to hear her say that. In a way, I am the closest thing Sonata and Aria have to a mother, but… I don’t want them to feel embarrassed about the fact that I raised them. That I’m their sister… Maybe I should have told everyone that they were my children. Then Sonata wouldn’t be bullied so often. Is everything my fault…?

I’ll play along with her lie. Just as long as she gets to make a friend…

=========================================================

“Goodbye, Pumpkin!” Sonata calls out to the yellow girl leaving our apartment, walking towards her mom’s car. Both of us wave to them before I close the door, making sure to lock it behind us. It’s only three in the afternoon and it already feels like it’s been a long day. My whole body feels tired and exhausted, wanting to collapse on the couch. Sonata, on the other hand, still seems relatively active, seemingly jumping around with excitement from her playdate. “That was so much fun!” Sonata tells me with a big grin on her face, rocking her teddy bear back and forth quickly.

“I’m glad you had fun, Sonata~” I say with an understanding tone, picking up the paper plates off the coffee table. The two girls ate their lunch in the living room so that they could watch TV. Primarily, a cartoon full of powerful princesses and an evil alien army called the Horde. I’ve never really been a fan of it, but it’s hard to not know some details about the show when Sonata is a big fan of it.

“I’m going to clean up~!” Sonata tells me with her grin still plastered on her face, referring to her room. I should have known two girls would make a huge mess, but at least Sonata is willing to clean up after herself. Sonata runs off towards her room just as I enter the kitchen, throwing away the paper plates. Looking around at the kitchen, I can’t help but sigh at the mess. A couple of pots are still dirty from making the two of them lunch and wrappers for crackers are littered all over. Normally, I don’t let Sonata eat this much in one day, but today is an exception.

Picking up a couple wrappers, I drop them into the trash can, noticing the crumbs on the floor. The sound of footsteps makes me look towards the entrance to the kitchen. Walking into the room, Aria takes a bite out of a cracker she has in her hand before widening her eyes at the mess. “Holy crap. What atomic bomb went off in here?” she asks me with a laugh, putting her phone away.

“Two little girls on a playdate, that’s what,” I tell her with a roll of my eyes, humoring her. Aria walks further into the messy kitchen, taking a glass from the cupboard and pouring herself a cup of water.

“You handled that well,” Aria tells me with a chuckle, taking a sip of her water and watching me clean up some more of the wrappers.

“Well, I wanted Sonata to have a fun playdate.” Grabbing the broom from next to the fridge, I sweep up the crumbs on the floor before I dare move on to the pots.

“Yeah, it was an… interesting playdate,” Aria whispers, drinking more of her water with a curious look in her eyes. “Sonata called you ‘mom’ the whole time her friend was over here. What was that about?”

Freezing in my tracks, a big sigh exits my lips, dumping the crumbs into the trash. “Sonata wanted to save face,” I tell her quietly, keeping my eyes towards the floor. Walking over to the pots, I grab them and move them to the sink. Even though I played along with her lie, it hurt a little when she called me that… It was almost like she was embarrassed of us being sisters. Of me… I try my best to be there for the girls and give them what they need, but I suppose the fact that I’m their sister still makes it a bit worse.

“Save face from what? Afraid she might be ridiculed for not having parents?” Aria laughs a little, sitting on top of the counter. “I already embraced that. I don’t have parents and it makes me different from everyone else. So what?”

“Sonata’s more sensitive about that topic… She gets bullied a lot for it, so she wanted just one time where she could make a friend without them looking at her as if she’s a freak. If anything, I think she deserves the peace.” Washing one of the pots, I can’t help but feel numb to the whole ordeal. It’s hard. Being the guardian of my two younger sisters. I’ve had to sacrifice a lot, but this whole playdate has almost made me feel that I haven’t sacrificed enough. Maybe it would have been better if I just let Sonata tell everyone I’m her mom from the start. Then she wouldn’t be bullied for that. “Do you mind if you finish up here?” I ask Aria, making her raise an eyebrow.

“Huh? Where are you going?” she asks me with a confused expression. I don’t usually ask her to finish up chores for me, but this is a special case.

“I need to meet up with someone.” Walking away from the sink, I pull my boots on, Aria following me slowly.

“You never go out to meet someone,” she tells me with a suspicious look.

“I know, but today is different.” Pulling my coat on, I take a deep breath before grabbing my keys and walking towards the door. “Just look after Sonata till I come back. And for the love of god… Don’t burn the apartment down.”

Comments

[NocKode]

A very sudden but pleasant surprise getting the chapter so soon ^^! One thing that makes me wonder is how much time has passed since RR? Like pumpkin cake is pretty old here to be sonatas age (11). So did RR take place 11 or so years ago? The cmcs are older than their pony counterparts so would it be the same for the cake twins?

[Spyder27]

11378858
That's a very good question~ Honestly, I sorta planned for this story to be around 8-9 years after Rainbow Rocks, giving the Mane 7 sufficient time out of high school to establish themselves in their career fields. So, to answer your question, the Cake twins are probably a couple years older than their pony counterparts, but the story happens 8 years later. So, mid-twenties Adagio and Sunset~ I'll take this into consideration and explain the time difference sometime later~
EDIT: Also, Sonata is almost eleven. She's a couple months away from that birthday, so yeah~ The only reason I point this out is because it's important later on~

[Natedogg2006]

I was worried we were getting set up for sonata to have a big disappointment after the pinky promise, but then I saw Mrs. Cake and felt better. So now my greatest fear as to a potential boot drop is this turn aria seems to have taken and if it is genuine. Still loving even bit of this.

[Spyder27]

11379447
Everyone assumes I have some sort of boot to drop with my stories~ Given, I have sort of set up that status quo for my writing, so I understand that. Sometimes, I will give just pure fluff~
Also, turn Aria has taken? What do you mean? Aria is still a rebellious teenager, but she has a soft side every now and again~

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

“You’re awfully strange, you know that, Sunset?” I tell her with a raised eyebrow, slightly rolling my eyes sarcastically.

She's definitely in for it once she learns why.

My back hurts so much now… After cleaning everything, I can’t help but ache all over. Whenever Sonata is near, I try to keep a brave face, making sure she doesn’t feel bad for asking for a playdate. I even called in one of my favors with my coworker, getting a few balloons the two of them can play with. Aria’s pretty much told me she will be staying in her room the whole time Sonata has her friend over, but that’s pretty much expected of her at this point. If Sonata can make a friend, maybe she won’t be so sad anymore. Maybe she won’t be bullied all the time and I won’t have to see her on the verge of tears almost every night. I didn’t give myself the luxury to make many friends after I got them out of that place, but a friend would really help Sonata’s self-esteem.

As long as it makes her happy, is a good sign she's improving with making friends.

“But adults don’t get scared?” she tells me, trying to justify her previous understanding. Yet she’s still curious about what I said.

Everyone gets scared, no matter their age.

“Mom!” Sonata interjects, hugging me from the side. Did she just say… mom? Why? Looking at Sonata, a nervous expression is painted across her face, smiling at Pumpkin Cake. “This is my mom~ Do you want to meet my big sister too?” Sonata still holds onto her teddy bear as Pumpkin Cake nods, grabbing her hand. “Great! Her name is Aria~ She’s a bit of a grump though, so yeah,” Sonata tells her friend, bringing her down the hall towards Aria’s room. Within a moment, I’m left alone, pondering what just happened. Why did Sonata just call me her mom…? Standing up, I can’t help but sigh, feeling puzzled by the whole situation. I know she was bullied before since she didn’t have parents, but… I didn’t think she would tell someone I’m her mom. Is she embarrassed of me? Of the fact that I’m her older sister? Practically everyone knows we’re sisters, so is it really worth it to lie to her new friend…?

https://m.

I’ll play along with her lie. Just as long as she gets to make a friend…

I hope you don't regret this one Adagio.

“Save face from what? Afraid she might be ridiculed for not having parents?” Aria laughs a little, sitting on top of the counter. “I already embraced that. I don’t have parents and it makes me different from everyone else. So what?”

'I'm already' not 'i already.' That makes no sense.

[Snowdrifter]

“I’m glad you had fun, Sonata~” I say with an understanding tone, picking up the paper plates off the coffee table. The two girls ate their lunch in the living room so that they could watch TV. Primarily, a cartoon full of powerful princesses and an evil alien army called the Horde. I’ve never really been a fan of it, but it’s hard to not know some details about the show when Sonata is a big fan of it.

For the Horde!

Wait, wrong franchise...